A non-drip spout is provided, more specifically, the present specification describes a non-drip spout for a container which contains fluids or liquids but which is also capable of holding powders or other materials which are capable of being poured through a spout.
The pouring spouts of liquid containers are normally intended to provide a smooth flow of liquid through the spout and also to minimize dripping from the spout at the end of the pouring operation. The drips that form on a spout after pouring are undesirable for numerous reasons including wetting and staining of the exterior of the spout and the container, and often result in wetting or staining of the surface on which the container rests.
Conventional spout closures tend to improperly dispense liquid food products when poured from them so as to create a build up of excess dried material around the spout subsequent to pouring of a liquid food product. As a result, the liquid product tends to drip from an orifice of the spout onto the closure and also potentially drip down the bottle or container on which the closure is mounted. In the event the liquid food product is dripped onto the closure, the flip-top lid portion provided can become stuck to the base by the product upon becoming dried and thus become difficult to open. In addition, if the product is permitted to drip down the bottle, it can become difficult for a consumer to handle the bottle.
Numerous attempts have been made to provide a dripless spout, and it has been generally realized that providing the spout with a thin or sharply cut off lip may enhance the “dripless” characteristics of the spout. This is recognized in U.S. Pat. No. 2,704,170 to Ray, which describes a teapot formed of ceramic material or glass. The spout opening of the teapot is bordered on the sides and bottom by a spout which extends outwardly and curves downwardly. The spout decreases in cross-section towards its extremity and terminates in a relatively sharply defined U-shaped lip undercut or relieved at its backside. U.S. Pat. No. 3,549,062 to Teetor discloses a pouring vessel provided with a droplet retaining structure which retains the droplet normally formed when pouring on a drip retaining lip. The lip is located at the outside of the sidewall at the front of the vessel and slightly below a pouring portion of the sidewall. The lip defines a small recess or pocket between the lip and a pouring portion of the sidewall. The front portion of the lip has a sharp upper edge with a generally vertical outer face and a very restricted horizontal surface. The lip defines a recess of restricted volume whereby the retaining forces, such as surface tension, and cohesive and adhesive forces over the liquid, temporarily retain the last drop of liquid in the recess. This drop then flows through a vertical slot in the pouring portion of the vessel and runs back into the vessel.
Also known is a dripless spout, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,040 to Wiley, which discloses a dripless spout which can be formed integrally with a liquid container or can be adapted for attachment to a liquid container. In this conventional spout, a dripless spout includes a service having a lid over which a liquid to be poured may flow, and a channel is formed in the surface which extends over at least a portion of the surface of a lip. At the end of a pouring operation, any droplets of liquid remaining on the surface occupy the channel and are held therein. The spout is formed of a relatively thin material and may be provided in the form of a spring clip for fitting to a liquid container or may be formed integrally with the liquid container. As can be appreciated from a review of this invention, the lid does not utilize a flip-top cap portion and thus remains open subsequent to a pouring operation.